I make my favorite chicken stock from the leftover carcasses of Sunday’s herb-roasted chicken. In the same way, I hang on to the fish heads and bones and the shells of shrimp, crab, and crawfish as flavor bases for the best stocks.

After making a pot of stock, I pour it into ice cube trays and freeze it. After they’re frozen, I store the cubes in a freezer bag. That way, I can easily retrieve them as I need them, without having to defrost quarts of stock at a time.

Directions

Heat the canola oil in a large pot over moderate heat. Cook the onions, celery, carrots, leeks, and garlic, stirring often, until they are soft but not brown, about 3 minutes.

Add the chicken bones and carcass, the bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, and 3 quarts water. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low and gently simmer, skimming any foam that rises to the surface, until the stock has reduced by half, about 2 hours.
Strain through a fine sieve into a container with a cover. Allow the stock to cool, cover and refrigerate, then skim off the fat. Freeze the stock in small batches to use later.

John Besh is a chef and a native son dedicated to the culinary riches of southern Louisiana. In his restaurants, entrepreneurial pursuits, and public activities, he preserves and promotes ingredients, techniques, and heritage one mouth-watering dish at a time.